governmental retirement plans

RP 1436 1-16

For Financial Professional and Plan Sponsor Use Only.

planning for a more rewarding retirement At Ameritas, we understand the special needs and plan design requirements associated with the governmental market. This understanding is based on more than 50 years of working side-by-side with cities, counties and political subdivisions across the country to deliver retirement plans and services that fit the needs of governmental employees.

the value is in the design Specifically, we provide the professional and comprehensive services needed to help governmental clients properly design and efficiently manage their retirement plan. From 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plans to 401(a) Retirement Plans that offer the 414(h) pick-up provision, we work together to help you design an entire program that works best for you. From documents to education to retirementfocused investments, the plan is customized to your needs and the needs of your employees.

more time for you We believe a retirement plan should complement your benefit package, not complicate it. During our onboarding process we educate your staff on the available tools to assist in the day-today management associated with sponsoring a retirement plan. Whether submitting a payroll contribution or reviewing and approving a distribution, our robust online recordkeeping system enables you to quickly and efficiently oversee your retirement plan leaving you time to focus on the business of managing your governmental organization.

guaranteeing our service Our goal is to exceed your expectations in all areas of plan management and service. To do this, we have a number of service guarantees for you as the plan sponsor and for your employees. These service guarantees are our commitment to perform as promised.

create a retirement savings program that meets your needs Be selective. Choose wisely. Work with your Ameritas financial professional to explore your options.

401(a) Plans • Primary plan for employer contributions • May match employee deferrals into a 457(b) plan • May require employees to contribute a stated percentage of their compensation – referred to as a mandatory employee contribution • Employees cannot change the mandatory contribution percentage • Employer has the option to allow the employees to make additional after-tax contributions at a stated percentage

457(b) Plans • Employee contributions are made on a pre-tax or Roth after-tax basis • Employees can change their percentage periodically based on the guidelines stated in the plan’s document • Contribution amounts are subject to the annual limits prescribed by the IRS • Employees can stop and start contributing based on the guidelines in the plan’s document

• This plan is not subject to ERISA and it is not required to comply with discrimination testing

• Catch-up contributions are allowed. This includes age 50+ catch-up and a catch-up attributable to the last three years before normal retirement age

• Joint and survivor annuity benefits are not required

• Withdrawals are subject to the 20% federal income tax withholding

• Hardship withdrawals are not available

• Withdrawals are not subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty

• Withdrawals are subject to the 20% federal income tax withholding and, if applicable, the 10% early withdrawal penalty • Distributions are eligible to be rolled into an IRA or anther qualified employer retirement plan

• The employer can elect to offer loans and unforeseeable emergency withdrawals • Distributions are eligible to be rolled into an IRA or another qualified employer retirement plan • This plan is not subject to ERISA and it is not required to comply with discrimination testing

414(h) pick-up provision Ameritas offers a 414(h) Pick-up Provision option as part of the 401(a) Plan. This popular provision enables the employer to “pick-up” employee mandatory contributions which are then recharacterized as pre-tax contributions. This is not a stand-alone provision and is only available as part of the 401(a) Plan.

• The plan must be monitored for excess contributions • Trustee-to-trustee transfers are allowed; no tax reporting is required

service that will make you smile Our representatives and associates are committed to delivering personal, attentive service to you and your plan participants.

A Team of Professionals Every plan comes with its core team of experienced, dedicated professionals who provide guidance and support. They assist with compliance as well as calculating and allocating contributions and transfers. They provide all the necessary documentation to help you with the administration of loans and distributions for your plan’s participants. This relationship-based service model gives you more time to focus on your government agency. Here’s how we can help: • Prepare important documents, including the conversion “blackout notice,” as well as create a timeline for the transfer of assets and data. • Assign a dedicated single-source contact within the Ameritas home office to help you manage the day-to-day operational and service needs of your plan. • Provide plan documents and compliance reviews of IRS and Department of Labor regulations that may impact your plan. Once your plan assets reach $1 million, a regional manager-client services is assigned to your plan. This individual provides onsite services which include, but are not limited to, annual plan reviews and quarterly investment reviews.

services that can make a difference Fiduciary Assistance To help you manage the risks and responsibilities of operating a retirement program, we have teamed up with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. (Mesirow Financial) to help provide an additional level of fiduciary protection through Mesirow Financial’s Fiduciary Partnership service1. Mesirow Financial conducts extensive independent analysis of the investment options offered on Ameritas Life’s investment platform to create its Premier List of investment options. The Premier List covers a broad range of investments that Mesirow Financial deems appropriate for long-term retirement investing. With its Premier List, Mesirow Financial offers two levels of fiduciary services to comply with ERISA Section 3(21) and ERISA Section 3(38): • Mesirow Financial 3(21) service offers a “help me do it” flexible approach to providing fiduciary coverage for investment selection and monitoring. For new plans, this option is included in the services we offer unless you elect otherwise. • Mesirow Financial 3(38) service offers a “do it for me” approach for investment selection and monitoring. Mesirow Financial assumes full discretion for selecting, monitoring and (if necessary) replacing the investment options. This is an optional upgrade. Additional fees apply.

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To obtain the Premier Lists and other benefits of the services described above, you must enter into an investment advisory agreement with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. is not affiliated with Ameritas or its affiliates. By making Mesirow Financial’s services available to you, Ameritas does not intend to recommend or endorse Mesirow Financial’s services. Fees applicable to Mesirow Financial’s services and Ameritas’ administration of Mesirow Financial’s services are set forth in the Mesirow Financial investment advisory agreement and the Ameritas administrative services agreement.

The Mesirow Financial Investment Strategies Group is a division of Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. (MFIM). MFIM is only responsible for the selection of the investment options on this list. Any information provided by MFIM to Ameritas has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not necessarily complete and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. MFIM does not provide legal or tax advice. MFIM is a SEC-registered investment advisor. Advisory Fees are described in MFIM’s Part 2 of Form ADV. Mesirow Financial refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. The Mesirow Financial name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. © 2015, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mesirow Financial assumes fiduciary responsibility for the selection and ongoing monitoring of the Premier List investments included in your plan’s investment lineup. If you choose the Mesirow Financial Fiduciary Partnership Service, you will receive a quarterly reporting package, including market commentary and detailed due diligence through the Mesirow Financial POLICE Report®. The report covers issues with investment performance, organizational changes, legal concerns, investment policy changes, consistency of style and expense. Key Fiduciary Resources are available in a helpful guide for plan sponsors to use in managing their fiduciary responsibilities. Here you will find a section on ERISA 404(c) compliance, a sample investment policy statement, a simplified plan review checklist and other sample documentation. Investment Due Diligence is managed by our Investment Products Group (IPG) who selects, monitors and evaluates the funds in our investment platform. We seek to create a diversified platform of funds that can appeal to investors with varying time horizons and risk tolerance profiles. Our systematic due diligence process focuses on qualitative and quantitative analysis as it relates to each investment’s performance, expenses, risks and portfolio manager tenure. The results of IPG’s comprehensive analysis are published in our Quarterly Performance Review. Fee Disclosure Documents help plan sponsors determine if their retirement plan’s fees and expenses are reasonable. We provide customized fee disclosure documents to both the plan sponsor and plan participants. These documents describe the services Ameritas Life provides and the costs associated with the services.

Fully Bundled Services Document Review is the responsibility of Plan Services. Plan documents are reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date, meet stated objectives and comply with the regulatory standards of both the IRS and Department of Labor. Enrollment Support is available in a three-phase program to encourage greater plan participation. It includes pre-enrollment communication, along with an education and investment specialist to assist during your enrollment periods. In addition, postand re-enrollment resources are available.

Ease of Doing Business Our single-source accountability helps provide a complete, efficient package that appeals to government agencies like yours. Whether you are a first-time plan sponsor or an agency looking to enhance your current retirement plan, our services and extensive investment platform help you provide a key benefit to your employees. Single-source Contact: For day-to-day administrative needs or questions your client services representative is ready to help. Personal Service: Our knowledgeable associates deliver responsive, personalized service that fosters long-term trusted relationships.

a retirement plan should complement your benefit package, not complicate it.

creating more financially secure futures.

making saving for retirement a priority Are the people who work for you preparing adequately for retirement? Probably not. Only 22% of workers feel very confident they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement, according to the 2015 Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. And less than half of all workers have completed a retirement needs calculation, an important planning step to help determine how much money will be needed in retirement. By offering a retirement savings plan to your employees, you’re letting them know how important you think it is to save. You’re giving them an easy, convenient way to build a stronger financial future for their retirement years. And you are giving them the opportunity to learn more. Your Ameritas retirement plan provides online resources complete with information, calculators and helpful tips for your plan participants to use to save for their retirement.

Educational Opportunities Joining a retirement plan is just the first step. Additional resources help motivate plan participants to set their goals for retirement, create a strategy to achieve their goals, and learn how to invest wisely. Enrollment. The enrollment process is simple and straightforward. Each plan participant receives an enrollment booklet. This step-by-step guide helps with making financial decisions that can lead to a more enjoyable retirement. Online Learning. Educational modules on investment concepts and retirement planning strategies are available on our website. These include: • Retirement Income Strategy. Three calculators work together to help plan participants estimate how well they are saving for retirement based upon current income, level of savings and retirement income needs.

• Asset Allocation. This investment strategy is used to build a mix of investments to match the plan participant’s long-term goals and risk tolerance. • Retire Focus. Informative articles, videos, tutorials and calculators assist plan participants with investment concepts and retirement planning strategies. Participants can explore topics of interest or focus on one of three educational modules that relate to their stage of life, whether it is just starting to save, on the road to retirement or nearing the goal. Diversified Investment Platform. A wide array of investment options from nationally prominent fund managers creates a quality investment platform that appeals to all types of investors. It features: • A full range of asset classes that include domestic and international stock funds, plus bond funds, real estate and asset allocation funds • Index lineup for a market-diversified, low-cost approach to investing • Socially responsible funds • Guaranteed Investment Account* for stability without market risk • Target Date Funds that automatically rebalance and adjust as the investor gets closer to retirement Account Access. Participants’ benefit statements and fee disclosure documents are always available online at ameritas.com. Our website gives plan participants the ability to conduct transactions at their convenience. Newsletters. Your Financial Future is a quarterly newsletter for plan participants that offers tips for appeal to both the novice and the savvy investor. Plan Sponsor Outlook reports on trends, highlights new studies and covers other topics of interest to plan sponsors. * Guarantee is based on claims-paying ability of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.

about Ameritas Financial Strength to Deliver on Our Promises Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. is affiliated with Ameritas Mutual Holding Company. As a mutual organization, we always put customers first. With our long-standing financial strength, we’ve established a tradition of delivering the very best in products and services generation after generation. Though we’re proud of our group ratings from Standard & Poor’s and A.M. Best Company, we measure our success by how many people we’ve helped. By how many promises kept. That’s the true measure of who we are.

Strong and Stable Ratings Best’s Rating Report and Standard & Poor’s Full Analysis Report are available in the ratings section of ameritas.com. Standard & Poor’s A+ (Strong) for insurer financial strength. This is the fifth highest of Standard & Poor’s 21 ratings. A.M. Best Company A (Excellent) for financial strength and operating performance. This is the third highest of A.M. Best’s 15 ratings. We are Ameritas: Proud to be in the business of fulfilling life.

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Retirement Plans Division 5900 O Street Lincoln, NE 68510 800-923-2732 ameritas.com This information is provided by Ameritas®, which is a marketing name for subsidiaries of Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, including, but not limited to: Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., 5900 O Street, Lincoln, NE 68510; Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York, (licensed in New York) 1350 Broadway, Suite 2201, New York, NY 10018; and Ameritas Investment Corp., member FINRA/SIPC. Each company is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. For more information about Ameritas®, visit ameritas.com. The Ameritas Retirement Advantage Series refers to a group variable annuity contract issued by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (Form AL 64349). Ameritas® and the bison design are registered service marks of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Fulfilling life® is a registered service mark of affiliate Ameritas Holding Company. © 2016 Ameritas Mutual Holding Company For Financial Professional and Plan Sponsor Use Only.